


The prettiest pair a green eyes around

by Kymopoleia



Category: DCU, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M, forgot all about it, ugh this was so bad, wally felt so ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 02:04:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1492681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kymopoleia/pseuds/Kymopoleia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Wally was a villain, rather than a hero?<br/>What if him and Dick were still a thing?<br/>What if Dick decided to not tell Bruce anything?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Um I'm just gonna come out and say a couple a things  
> This is my first YJ fic  
> I'm not gonna be the best  
> It's been very much time since I was last into anything DC at all  
> So I'm catching up and making up for lost time  
> Also I've made my friend hiss angrily at the fic so far so that must be a good sign

Dick Grayson had met his match in a city that wasn't Gotham, and he wasn't going to lie, he sort of wished Central City was his after how things had gone. On a favor for his mentor, Bruce Wayne, he'd agreed to watch the city while Barry and Bruce did whatever. It was probably business, maybe sex, who even knew anymore?

Being honest, he was glad for the practice. After seven years patrolling Gotham with Bruce, he knew every nook of the filthy town and an uncomfortable portion of its secrets. He could ride from the batcave to Arkham blindfolded, with his hands tied behind his back- he knew. He'd done it. 

But the practice in a town that he barely knew was amazing. The air here was cleaner, and the people were happier. But, luckily for him, there were still sleazes infecting the population. 

And so he followed a call on an escaped prisoner, only a little annoyed at the half-hour it'd taken to find the niche.

It wasn't an abandoned building, or a warehouse or factory or store. It was a house. A normal house. 

Knowing better than to walk in through the front, Dick circles around to the back, ignoring when a sudden breeze blows the wrong way across the back of his neck. He's wearing civvies, since this is broad daylight, but has everything he normally does with him, hidden by the large jacket and loose pants. 

Inside the house, there is an eerie quiet. It is long abandoned, covered in a thick layer of dust. There is a bowl of nothing on the kitchen table, with long-rotten dried patches where there were once fruit. In a glass terrarium, there are several turtle shells and skeletons. 

The contrast between this place and the rest of the town are glaringly obvious. While outside is ideallistic and beautiful, terrible things have happened here. Blood stains on the fridge, and a broken mirror. Beer bottles on every surface, and cigarette butts in the oddest of places. Even now, so many years after whatever tragedy, the house still reeks of nicotine and bedlam and pain. 

But what draw his eyes is the figure standing still as a picture in the middle of the living room connected to the kitchen. He is wearing a large red shirt and blue plaid pajama pants, despite the heat and stuffiness in the house. He has a shock of red hair, and is turned away from Dick.

Then he turns to face him. 

His face seems blurry, as if he's a speedster who is moving too fast, while still staying in one place. And he's smiling. Fucking smiling! It's terrifying, and that's coming from the boy wonder, who'd seen many horrific things in his time. The person- no longer a boy, not yet a man, takes one slow, tiny step before  speeding to appear just an inch in front of himself.  

The guy has freckles and green eyes. And red hair. Red. Hair. 

Yep, Dick is screwed.  

"Heythereareyouwhattheymakeherosouttanowadays?" The speedster asks. He peers even closer in at Dick, grinning now. His teeth aren't the whitest, but the smile is breathtaking. 

"Yes. And what of you?" He asks.

The speedster's head twitches as he bites his lips to make a humming noise. "I wassgoing to be a hero." He speaks slower this time. 

Dick's heart wrenched at those words. "What hero were you going to be?" He couldn't help asking. 

"KiddFlash" The smile is gone. "Whyareyouherewhoareyou"

"I'm Robin, Batman's partner." He said. "And I'm here to help you."

The speedster tenses up. "Whywouldanyonehelpmeididsomethingbadineedtostayhere"

Dick can hardly understand his speed talking. "Hey, hey, slow down its alright. You're not bad, and this..." he looks around the house. "This isn't a place to stay."

"Thisiswheretheywherethisiswhereimsupposedtobe"

"You don't need to be here- you can come with me, to a safe place." Dick finds that he wants to help the speedster, honestly wants to take him somewhere far from this hell. 

"Whatsafeplace" the speedster asks. 

Dick falters- what place could he take him? The prison wasn't an option, but maybe Arkham? No.  That was a cruel and unique form of torture that the speedster didn't deserve. 

Maybe he could bring him to the manor, or...

"I will make you a safe place, just give me a few days."

The speedster nods, swallowing. "WhatwillIdountilthen"

Dick holds his hand out and offers a small smile. "Come with me."

He is relieved when the other does, in fact, take his hand. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many much pain  
> Very cry  
> Wow

The speedster- Wally West, he learns- is tiny. His wrists are thin and fragile, almost like a bird's. He is taller than Dick by an inch or two, but thinner by a few more than that. Hell, he was sure that he'd be able to count the other's ribs if he wore a tighter shirt. 

All of this scared Dick- he knew that speedster's were supposed to eat a lot to sustain their metabolism. Years of being with Bruce, and his friend Barry, had taught him a few things about speedsters, and from what he could tell, Wally needed help. 

As he thinks about it, Dick can't help but think about that first night.

-

Dick can feel Wally's arms clench even tighter around his midsection as he pulls the motorcycle into the garage- the one up top. He doesn't trust the speedster with the bat-cave secret- no matter how many secrets he's already revealed. He knows that he's going to cave and tell Wally about his past later, too. But for now he's just going to have to deal with the idea that Robin- the boy wonder- saved him from prison life. 

Alfred is there, holding a tray with a cup of tea on it. Not for the first time, Dick wonders if the man is a meta with psychic abilities- he most certainly hadn't called ahead. 

"Alfred, you shouldn't have!" He says as he gets up, running a hand through his windswept hair. Wally is also getting up, removing his helmet. 

"Not for you, for your guest." Alfred's tone is clipped as he offers the speedster a cup of earl grey tea. Dick pouts, but is glad. 

"Please don't tell Bats he's here we'll only be staying for a few days- a week tops- an I'm going to get him situated uptown and then I'll talk to Bats I promise." He says. Alfred nods in response.  "Also, Master Bruce requested your presence tonight for dinner at Gotham's finest restaurant- you know his favorite. You will be joining him and Master Barry."

Wally visibly flinches at the name Barry, but Dick tries not to respond to it- he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it. 

He turns to Wally then, taking hold of his hand- the speedster calms down when Dick is touching him- and smiles. "Wally, I have to go take care of this, and you'll stay here while I do. I promise you, you will be safe here with Alfred. I will not let anyone hurt you or take you away, I promise." He turns his head to look at Alfred again, still holding the redhead's trembling hand. "Alfred, can you please make Wally something to eat and escort him to my room afterwards?"

Alfred nods, and Dick turns back to Wally, smiling. "See? You can trust him, trust me. We're going to take care of you."

Wally nods numbly and his hands shake more. His lips are blurry, and he looks like he wants to cry. "ThankyouRobinicantthankyouenoughim" he steps forwards, and Dick opens up his arms to hug the other. 

What scares him is how tiny Wally is. Barely there, a wisp of a teen. Dick's arms wrap around him easily, and he's snug. A bony chin resting on his shoulder, a pair of fragile arms placed awkwardly around his shoulder's, a heart beating frantically, reminiscent of a hummingbird. And yeah, all of that sort of totally scares him. 

As they embrace, Alfred looks on, still holding the tray with the tea on it.

Reluctantly, Dick pulls back from  the hug, and he smiles at the speedster. Wally smiles back, albeit nervously, but it's still a smile. 

"I'll be back later." He promises, before turning to leave again. 

"Master Robin! You might find it a good option to change your clothing." Alfred says. He blinks and glances down at his outfit, realizing that it was, in fact, not suitable for where he was going.

"I'll be just a moment then." He says as he runs forwards, heading towards his room. When he gets there he strips and puts the suit away, and replaces it with a black shirt- the one with a batman symbol on it, he was a fan of irony- a pair of dark jeans, and a leather jacket. Then, of course, he shoved his wallet into his back pocket, though he knew Bruce wouldn't make him pay for the meal. 

He hopes this goes well. 

As Dick hops over the edge of the stairwell in favor of dropping to the first floor quietly, he hears noise from the kitchen and quickly goes to investigate. 

He sees Wally on a stool at the kitchen island, talking to Alfred as a pot of something bubbles on the stove. He has a bowl in front of him, and Alfred is smiling. 

Dick is happy with this revelation, and feels much better as he leaves. When he gets down to his motorcycle and puts the helmet on, it seems as if nothing could go wrong. 

The ride to Bruce's favorite diner is quick, And when he walks in, Leona directs him to the familiar booth. Bruce nods at him, and Barry smiles.

"How was the trip?" Dick asks as he settles in on the opposite side of the booth, setting his helmet next to him. Bruce smiles. "It was productive."

Barry nods, then turns to face Dick. "How was Central while I was gone?"

"It was beautiful, and none of your rogues came to visit me. However, I have to ask, a prisoner broke out of Central City jail today..."

Barry's brow furrowed. "Who was it? Did you bring them back?"

"I didn't manage to find him, no, but it was a Wallace West. I-" he pauses at the sudden look of pain on Barry's face. "Is something wrong?"

"I haven't heard that name in six years..." The speedster sat back in the seat and ran a hand through his hair. 

Dick was surprised- six years? When he'd glanced at Wally's file, it had said he was seventeen, only a year older than himself. But he kept quiet, waiting for the older man to speak. He'd just opened his mouth when Leona comes to the table, to take their orders, though she hardly needs to, since they always get the same thing. She smiles as she walks away, and a glance shows that her hips are swaying. But she isn't important to Dick right now, Wally is. Barry is. 

"Back when you were just starting out with Bruce, I met a woman who I fell in love with- you've met Iris before. It didn't take long for her to find out that I was- you know. And she didn't care about it, she was actually happy that she'd be able to thank me for saving her nephew and herself a few years before- I didn't remember it, I had saved so many people... But still. She introduced me to him, and I immediately loved the kid. He was perfect, everything I'd always wanted in a son. I... I didn't notice that there was anything wrong."

Dick wanted to ask, but refrained from doing so. 

"After he found out that I was a hero, he asked me tons of questions about how I did it, and I never thought that he'd try to replicate the experiment."

His eyes widen as he stares at Barry. What? He'd heard about that, about the failed experiment and the new power that Barry had received from it. He still doesn't speak, but he notices Bruce's hand snaking around his friend's back to rub reassuringly at his back. Hm, he'd have to remember to ask about that. 

"He survived, and when he came out of the hospital three days later, he was fast, not as fast as me, but fast enough to earn the title 'Kid Flash'. I was upset at first, but then I decided to take him on as my sidekick. For a while, everything was great. The rogue gallery adored him, and Piper was always getting him on his own- I should have seen it then,  I should have realized why, where they hated me, they cared about him. At the time I chalked it up to his age. But then things started happening. Bruises he couldn't play off as nothing, cuts he couldn't explain, and on days where he didn't fight very well I'd notice a limp."

Dick's throat closes up and he wants to cry, but then their food comes and he's trying not to look too distraught. The group is silent for a moment before Barry continues. 

"It was his dad- Iris didn't know, didn't think her brother did that. After all, Mary was fine, so who would think that Wally was being hurt?"

There's another silence. 

"I blame myself, I should have protected him. Should have saved him. He didn't deserve that, or what he got for finally letting go."

"What do you mean by letting go?" Dick can't help but ask. 

"He snapped- his dad beat the hero out of him. His dad killed his mom too, and then had the audacity to kill himself. Wally disappeared for a few weeks, then I heard that there was an issue, a hold up. Wally was there, and he was covered in blood and bruises and I-" he covered his mouth with a sob. Bruce pulled him into his arms. 

Dick felt tears coming down his own cheeks and looked down somberly at his waffles, and two plates of bacon. He wasn't hungry anymore, he just wanted to go back to the manor and grab Wally and hug the speedster until he was better. 

But, obviously, he couldn't do that right now, so instead he picks up his fork and starts to pick at the waffle. 

Barry leaves Bruce's arms, and takes a deep breath. "Wally had a gun- no, a pair of guns. And he had held up a bank because he needed help, and he knew it. Iris was outside, sobbing off-camera as I went inside. Wally... He started shaking when he saw me, and he was babbling and crying an pulling at his hair and the people in the bank were scared and there was money everywhere, floating down slowly, and when Wally saw me he backed up, sobbing and b-babbling more and he fired six shots because he was scared before I could even say anything, and then then he started vibrating and he didn't do it right and the guns fell then they exploded and I couldn't help him I couldn't stop him!" Barry's hand tightens on the edge of the table. 

"They locked him up because I failed him and I didn't see his pain and I didn't know and I didn't stop him."

Conversation after that is minimal. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing sex jokes fuels my existence

Dick gets home before Bruce does- something about escorting the distressed speedster home. He finds Alfred alone, cleaning the kitchen.

"Where's Wally?" He asks, settling down at a stool for the cup of tea being pushed in front of him. Alfred knows him so well. 

"Master Wally is sleeping in a guest bedroom on the opposite side of the house from everything Master Bruce usually uses."

Dick nods knowingly. "So basically everything near the Wayne's rooms. Understandable. Thank you again, so much." He is actually sort of glad Alfred set the speedster up away from Dick's room, since sometimes Bruce had a habit of talking to him. Came with the gig, usually enjoyable. 

"Master Grayson, you should be thankful for my presence." He said with a smile. "Otherwise you would be hard pressed to keep anything from Master Bruce."

Dick nodded as he took a long sip of tea. "How else would I have been able to stay Robin so long?" he asked, grinning. 

Bruce walked in at that moment, jacket slung over one shoulder. Alfred slid a cup of tea and a glass half full of cognac to him. "You've been Robin for so long because I can't get rid of you otherwise." He said, though Dick knew he was only joking- he liked to pretend he'd last on his own without a Robin by his side to keep him in check and keep things interesting. 

"So, now that we're no longer in front of Barry- you know I have to ask Bruce."

"You picked up on it." 

"How could I not?"

Bruce chuckled and sighed. "I raised you well."

"No, you raised me smart. There's a difference and it keeps me alive to keep bugging you."

Alfred laughs at that, while Bruce takes a long sip of his tea, followed quickly by an equally long sip of the alcohol. 

"Barry and I are dating."

"What of his wife, Iris?" Dick raised an eyebrow. 

""We're also dating."

"Does she know you're dating Barry, and vice versa?"

"Of course. Where do you think I was all day today? I was teaching them some tricks only a rich playboy would know."

"Oh, what I would pay to see that. Not." Dick snickered. 

"Atleast I don't have to pay for anything."

Dick's grin went slack and his eyes widened in faux wonder. "Did he just..." He let out a single burst of laughter. "Make a prostitution joke?"

"No, I made a pornography joke. You wouldn't get laid even if you had paid for it."

"Wow, you're using modern terms to make yourself sound younger. Tell me, how many Viagra pills did you use to get you through the ten minutes with Barry and Iris?"

A certain amount of healthy banter between the two prepares them for the witty comments and double entendres they must use for their villains- what's the fun of fighting crime if you can't be funny while wearing spandex and kevlar?

"More than it would take you if you keep on that line of questioning." Bruce says. 

"Oh, you wound me!" Dick days over dramatically, throwing an arm over his face. 

"If you make any more jokes about my love life, I plan to."

Dick laughs again as he stands. "I'm going to stay in tonight, I need sleep. Big chemistry test tomorrow that I'm not going to fail."

Bruce nodded, accepting his words. 

Dick almost felt bad for lying, but wanted to laugh at his mentor for not realizing that it was summer vacation. 

Almost. 

He makes his way out of the kitchen and turns right to go down to the one room he's not allowed, then enter the much smaller room besides it. It had been originally intended for a servant or an infant, but there is a faintly vibrating ginger on it. Dick sits down on the corner of the bed and the other watches him do so. 

"Yourebackyoucameback" He says. 

Dick nods. "I did. I always will." On a whim, he reaches down and runs a hand through Wally's hair, smiling when the speedster leans into his touch. 

"Alfredmademesoupilikealfredhemakesmefeelsafe" Dick smiles at that. 

"Yeah, Alfred has that effect on people. Would you rather me sleep  in here with you, or will you be fine?"

Wally shrugged. "StayuntilIsleepthencomebackintwohours."

"Two hours?"

"Nightmare"

Dick bites his lip to refrain from accidentally making a very upset noise. 

"I'll be here in two hours if you promise to stay in here tomorrow morning until I say it's okay to come out- I haven't told Batman you're staying yet, and I would like to avoid that inquisition until you're in the safe place."

Wally nods and Dick notices his eyelids drooping in the darkness of the small room. 

"Sleep now, it'll all be fine."

"Thankyou" The speedster murmurs, and Dick almost doesn't catch it. His eyes get wet with tears that he had to blink away, and he thinks about gross things- like Bruce having sex- to block the sad thoughts. Soon he is shuddering in disgust rather than distress, and the speedster is snoring lightly. 

As he stands and stretches, a yawn attacks, leaving him very ready to go pass out for a few hours before groggily getting up to take care of his- he glances at the speedster. He wants to think ward, but Wally is older than him. Um... Charge?

Another yawn, another sudden realization that he doesn't care what he calls Wally as long as he goes and falls asleep right fucking now. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never really mentioned it but it's gonna e sort of a slow build to the super villain part and an even more slow build to the sex  
> Also there's gonna be sex eventually   
> If you don't want to read that then um I really don't know what to say sex iant the most important thing in the universe but with me it's also kind of hot and a plot device   
> So you know  
> Do whatever when it comes

"Hello Mr. Grayson, thank you for coming in today." A nervous looking man with sweat running down his temple greets Dick at the door with a handshake. Dick nods and smiles, before being ushered into a seat. The suit he's donned for the occasion is nice, because wants to make a good impression on the owner of the apartment building he wants to situate Wally in. It's in the nice part of town, and high enough up that people would be discouraged to come in through the windows (unless they were Dick) though low enough down that it wouldn't be in danger of a penthouse explosion. 

"Let's get to business." He said once he was seated as he fixed his tie. 

Across from him, Mr. Price and Mr. Heaton nodded. Mr. Heaton opened up a binder, and slid it across the table to Dick. He pointed at three places on a blueprint as he spoke. "We have three apartments open for renting, the penthouse suite, a level ten, and a level sixteen. I would suggest the penthouse suite for yourself, since it is the most lavish and-"

"I have surveyed each available room already, Mr. Heaton. I would like the level sixteen apartment."

"Are you sure? It is not nearly the quality of the penthouse-"

"I am not looking to buy the penthouse suite because the penthouse is a target for robberies more time than not. However you protect the building, the penthouse is always attacked. I spoke to the tenth level's tenants and decided that they are not the company I wish to keep. Level sixteen has much more pleasant neighbors, being a mousy old woman who likes to bake and has a litter of kittens to which I've already been promised, and a young couple who go out of town more often than not. I know what I would like, Mr. Heaton, do not argue with me on this matter."

He nods, and Mr. Price slides a stack of papers to Dick. His own lawyer, Mr. Corey, takes them and shows Dick where to sign. 

When he leaves the room with Mr. Corey, he has secured the perfect place for the speedster in his care. And, since it's only a few blocks from his own school, he'd have a good excuse to be there as well. 

Everything was going well, now all he needed to do was go make several copies of the key (two for Wally, one to hide outside the front door, two for Dick) and take Wally shopping. 

Oh, and hope Bruce didn't question why there were so many charges on the card he'd given to his ward this month. 

The drive back to the manor to retrieve Wally is fun, because Dick is driving alone and he's the one picking all the songs. 

Hm... That reminds him, he's  going to need to get the speedster a cell phone. Otherwise, without a way to contact Dick, what's the point of any of this?

When he gets to the manor, Alfred is there with a tray of tea and three oatmeal raisin cookies. Dick takes them, and the tea, and breathes deeply, letting the warmth flow through him. 

"Thank you, Alfred. Is Wally here now?" He asks as if the speedster has anywhere else he could possibly be. 

"Yes, Master Dick. Master Wally is in the kitchen, eating lunch. I took the liberty of giving him a shirt, pair of underwear, and pair of jeans from your closet, I hope you don't mind. I am currently washing the outfit he came here in."

Dick nods gratefully before starting towards his room. "I'll change first." He announces, though there's really no need to. 

The suit goes into the hamper, and a fresh shirt, pair of jeans, and leather jacket replace it. He's rather fond of that jacket, since it was a birthday present from Roy last year. 

Dick is just finishing up the last cookie when he comes into the kitchen, and Wally is halfway through a bowl of tomato soup and 3/4 of the way through a cheese sandwich. Wally cranes his head to look at Dick when he comes into the room, and Dick rests a hand on his back reassuringly. 

It doesn't dawn on him that he's making the same gesture of kindness that Bruce did the night before. 

Wally swallows and smiles, then pokes Dick's stomach. "Areyougoingtoeat? Howdidthingsgo?"

"They went well. Mr. Heaton tried to insist on the penthouse, but I declined. We now have a safe place, all we need is to go get things for it." He smiles down at Wally, who begins to bounce up and down in excitement. 

"Yougotthesafeplace?" Wally says excitedly. The day before, they'd gone to Heaton Towers, and talked to the tenants on the floor of each open apartment. Dick hadn't particularly liked the tenth level patrons, and Wally had liked them even less, but the sixteenth floor was perfect. There were two free on that one, and the young couple weren't there, so they only spoke to the old woman. She was lovely, dear old Mrs. Garcia. The cake she'd insisted on giving them rivaled Alfred's cooking in flavor, and the cats were all very well behaved. Wally had fallen in love with a small, extremely fluffy black cat with blue eyes, while Dick couldn't stop petting the ginger brother of the first cat, and couldn't stop staring into its green eyes. 

Mrs. Garcia told them that those cats were theirs, wether they moved into the apartment or not, but obviously they chose to move in. 

Well, Wally would. Dick would be there often, to check up on him and do homework, but he probably wouldn't live there. 

Yet. 

Wally finishes eating, then stands, and Dick realizes that the other needs a pair of shoes to go out shopping. 

But, like usual, Alfred is two steps ahead of the pair and hands the speedster a pair of Bruce's old flip flops. Dick had small feet, like a dancer, so it didn't surprise him that none of his own choices fit Wally. Not surprising in the slightest. 

They leave in Bruce's royce, which he hadn't touched since being gifted a Ferrari. 

Seriously, rich people. Dick can hardly fathom using more than the motorcycle and a car, let alone Bruce having twenty six cars. 

The drive takes forty minutes, as Dick knows already. Wally still looks small in the seat next to him, and it's mostly quiet as they go down the winding road. 

"Thankyou" Dick hears besides him when thy reach town. 

He glances over and nods. "Thank you for letting me help you."

Wally merely hums in response and looks out the window. 

-

They make it to the apartment building and park the Royce in the garage under the building. Then they walk out onto the street, fully intending to go on a shopping spree like no other. 

After a rocky start, the pair find it much easier. They move in sync, buying and agreeing and disagreeing an trying. But the best part is the sense of accomplishment. Furniture, clothing, pillows, and food. Several thousand dollars worth of it. Dick is proud of himself, and of his friend's- he feels comfortable saying that now- abilities. The apartment is now filled with boxes and bags, and Dick is taking the appropriate last ten minutes to set the fridge up before collapsing with Wally on the burgundy couch in the living room. 

They haven't any food yet, but they don't need it. They ate earlier, and are much more likely to just sleep-

Oh. Yep. Wally is snoring lightly. 

Dick's eyes burn from strain and effort as he finishes setting the fridge up, and involuntarily finds himself slumping to the floor against the kitchen's marble-covered island. He's so tired...

There is a vague noise as his head hits the chilled tile. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was gonna be something COMPLETELY different but then I was like "nah gotta have dicki in a more unstable emotional state before I do that" so you have been spared for now
> 
> Also eww this is short and choppy  
> Bluh

"Dick." Bruce's tone is hard, a sure sign that he is not in a pleasant mood. Dick swallows and turns around in the batcave's computer chair. He'd really thought he'd have more time. 

"Bruce." He replies, but the effect is diminished by the waver in his voice due to nerves. 

"You know I do not question much but why did my lawyer just call me and tell me that the contracts used to buy an apartment just went through?" His eyes are watering, and Dick can see the hurt all too well. "And why did you lie to me the other night about today being a school day?"

"I was doing something that I didn't want to talk about. I was helping someone get set up so that they wouldn't get back in a bad situation. I saved him a few days ago, and I can't let him go back to that place Bruce. And it's close to the school so that if I don't have time to come here I can crash there- I'm sorry that I lied and I know I shouldn't but you can understand why I did, right?"

Bruce sighs and nods. "Yes. But don't for one minute think you're getting out of me meeting this kid." He all but playfully growls the last part out, and Dick nods. 

"Yes sir. Now, ready to patrol?" Dick smiles, already knowing the answer as Bruce strips to put on the black costume. 

As he's already all of the way into his own costume, he merely stands and waits for Bruce. It doesn't take long, since they're both used to the routine.

Dick loves the taste of the night air on his tongue, the feel of Gotham's filthy night as it hugs him, keeps him safe from prying eyes as he punches a goon in the throat. He then pushes him into a pipe, grinning. "Where is your leader?" He hisses. 

"D-down the hall" The man squeaks. Dick spams his head back into the Pipe, knocking him out, and heads down the hall. 

"I've got the boss." He says into his comm as he pulls out his escrima sticks and quickens his pace. 

A goon is facing the wrong way, and Dick easily beats him down, just in time for a pair to rush him. 

One ducks as Dick swings at him, and the other parries the blow. The first grabs his ankles, bringing Dick down. He hits the second as he tries to come down on Dick, then kicks violently to get the first off of his legs. He hisses as a knife is plunged into his thigh, but keeps fighting until they're unconscious and his breathing is labored from effort. 

It hurts. It fucking hurts a lot. Shitshitshit! He didn't need this hindrance, didn't need to be weak. He needed to be strong, to be there for Bruce and Wally. 

There's a lot of blood flowing from the wound, and Dick is trying to get up like a fucking idiot but ithurtsithurtsithurts makeitstop 

His leg gives out under him and his vision swims as a goon attacks him. 

Oh no. 


End file.
